It is known to form sheet metal articles, such as an automotive body panel from a sheet or blank of superplastically or quick plastically formable sheet metal, which is preheated and then stretched, first against a preforming cavity tool, and then against a final forming punch tool, via the application of pressurized gas against the preheated sheet.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,880,377, assigned to the assignee of this invention, discloses a press and tooling for performing the aforedescribed process. The tooling includes a heated upper binder ring for binding the preheated sheet metal blank against the cavity tool and maintaining the temperature of the sheet metal blank for effective forming. The tooling also includes a lower binder ring that supports the upper binder ring, but is cooled in order to prevent undesired heat transfer to the press.
The present invention provides a new and improved seal for sealing the interface between the upper and the lower binder.